[Surfnetkids: 30 Apr 2008] Financial Literacy

1. Introduction 2. Sponsor’s Spot: How to Get Out of the Rat Race 3. Weekly Topic: Financial Literacy 4. What You are Missing This Week 5. Related Games 6. Quote of the Week 7. Subscription Management

#1. April 30, 2008

Dear Barbara,

What are your favorite educational sites? I bet you’ve got a nice collection of really great sites bookmarked. Do you feel like sharing? This week, I want to do a roundup of all the ways you can share your favorite sites with the rest of my readers. We’d love to have you join “our conversation.” Won’t you consider it?

First (and this one is my favorite), if you have an entire set of educational and family-oriented bookmarks you are willing to share, please join us at SharingLinks.com. You can use the invite code “betatest” to join.

Although there is more to learn about money than how to count coins and bills, the subject is largely ignored in most middle and high-schools. Today’s six-pack of sites tackle saving, budgeting, earning, investing, and more.

A.G. Edwards: Big Money Adventurehttp://www.agedwards.com/public/content/fcgi/bma/frontpage.fcgi Big Money Adventure is actually three different adventures for different age groups. Rainbow Castle for two to six-year-olds focuses on coloring and learning to count money. Storybook Adventures is an interactive story that explains the concept of profit for six to ten-year-olds. But the best section is Star Traders, where you build a stock portfolio of five stocks, and compete against other real players for about a month. Weekly winners receive a t-shirt and have their name published on the site.

Escape from Knab Escape from Knab is a role-playing game from U.S. Bank that teaches financial decision-making to middle and high-school students. The setting is the fictitious planet Knab, where you are trying to save enough money for a $10,000 return ticket to Earth. Start by picking a job and filling out your W-4. Should you choose a higher-paying job with little advancement opportunity, or a lower-paying job with a company that is known to reward good workers with raises?

Moneyopolishttp://www.moneyopolis.com/new/home.asp At Moneyopolis (another role-playing game), you will meet Xerbie, a visitor from outer space who’s stranded because he couldn’t save enough money to repair his broken spaceship. You will be asked to help him get back home by answering money questions in each of the town’s buildings. In addition to the game, there are downloadable activities for offline learning, a financial glossary, and a budget gadget (downloadable spreadsheet) to help you keep track of cash and meet your money goals.

“Far away, there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.” ~~ Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888) American novelist.